Words

We are coming near to the end of our narrative analysis of this passage from the Gospel of John. Today we will look at the plot of the narrative. If you need to catch up, here are the links to previous articles.

Part One - Introduction | Part Two - Rhetoric | Part Three - Irony | Part Four - Setting| Part Five - Characters

Plot

This narrative is part of the larger plot of the entire Gospel of John which Resseguie notes has a U-shaped plot.¹ This particular part of the Gospel is at the very bottom of the U, right before the plot takes an upward turn. As such, this pericope is characterized by downward movement. Its length, in comparison with the synoptics, shows that for the evangelist this was the real trial of Jesus, with the Jews as accusers and the Roman state the judge.² It was penned “in the consciousness that every step of Jesus in those hours constituted part of the hour, whereby the Father was glorified in the Son and the Son was in process of exaltation to the throne of God.”³

The plot is highlighted by conflict. There is conflict between the Jews and Pilate (whether to release or crucify Jesus) which is tied closely to the conflict between the Jews and Jesus (the Jews want Jesus to be killed).

The Jews start the scene by bringing Jesus to Pilate and very shortly their intentions are made known. This primacy effect continues throughout the narrative and results in the recency effect of Jesus’ death. Their goal is to convince Pilate that Jesus is worthy of death, but Pilate does not quickly concede. After Pilate’s first interrogation of Jesus the matter of innocence is settled, yet the trial continues. The issue is not over the truth, the issue becomes what Pilate will do with the knowledge that Jesus is innocent.⁴ Despite his innocence, Pilate has Jesus scourged and mocked at the centerpiece of the trial.⁵ This prepares the narrative for its next scene in which Jesus is presented before the Jews. This presentation becomes the high point in the confrontation.⁶ It is the climax of this pericope and quite possibly the entire Gospel because the real reason for the Jews’ desire for Jesus’ death comes out as they finally outright say that he claimed to be the Son of God.⁷ As we have seen by way of the discussion on irony, the Jews ultimately convince Pilate to crucify Jesus, but not on the basis of truth. Instead they place a weight of political pressure upon Pilate under which he ultimately collapses as he condemns Jesus. Yet this comes at a cost to the Jews –to place pressure on Pilate they pledge allegiance to only Caesar and give up their faith.⁸ Duke notes that as the plot continues the Jews move downward to the point of self-destruction.⁹ On the surface they appear to have victory over Pilate and Jesus, yet the evangelist wants the reader to see that they have ultimately lost because they have given up their national rights and forsaken their God and their king.¹⁰

The evangelist uses the plot to again demonstrate his point of view that Jesus is truly the Son of God, king, and judge whom the world –represented by both Pilate and the Jews –has missed.

¹ Resseguie 2001, 171.

² Beasley-Murray 1999, 326 points out that the narrative in this Gospel is longer than in any of the synoptics.

³Ibid., 319 (italics his).

⁴ Duke 1985, 131. Brown 1970, 869 argues that the rest of the trial concerns itself with whether or not Pilate will respond to the truth.

⁵ Ibid., 132.

⁶ Schnackenburg 1990, 255.

⁷ Ridderbos 1997, 601 notes that the entire narrative comes to a head with this accusation. Moloney 1998, 495 notes that the real reason for the Jews’ desire for Jesus’ death has finally surfaced.

⁸ Carson 1991, 606; Beasley-Murray 1999, 343.

⁹ Duke 1985, 127.

¹⁰ Carson 1991, 606 notes that in their declaration they have no king but Caesar they disown the kingship of Jesus.

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